pesto pasta

pesto pasta
I never realized how often I make pasta until I saw the number of pasta recipes in queue for this site. I don’t feel like we eat pasta that much, I don’t even particularly like pasta. It must just be that it’s so easy to just boil some water and throw a sauce together after 8 hours of work, 2 hours of commuting, and an hour of gym time. When all I want to do is just go home and crash, apparently pasta is my go-to dish.

One type of pasta that I started making often just involves sauteing some fresh veggies, adding a bit of butter, a splash of cream, and a bit of garlic then tossing it with the pasta. On the off-chance that I have a bit of pesto lying around – even better. Add a tablespoon or two of pesto and voila – delicious creamy pesto pasta.

This dish has all the nutrition of fresh veggies mixed with the bright flavor of basil pesto, all rounded out with a dash of cream. Just a dash – not so much to make you feel guilty but just enough to turn it saucy. Of course, if you’ve been good all week – add as much cream as you like 🙂 If you’re the type who feels guilty (like yours truly), just a splash of cream and a bit of starchy pasta water will do.

Creamy Pesto Pasta

[ Printable Recipe ]

  • Pasta (enough for 2 -3 people)
  • 1/2 – 1 cup chopped, cooked chicken (optional)
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 – 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 – 3 Tablespoons pesto (fresh is better, but store-bought will do)
  • Splash of heavy cream
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup chicken (or vegetable) stock
  • 1 Tablespoon of butter

1. Cook & drain pasta, set aside in a bowl. Reserve a bit of the cooking water.

2. Saute onions in a drizzle of olive oil until translucent, add chicken and heat through. Add tomatoes and garlic, stirring constantly until heated through. (Make sure not to burn your garlic) Transfer to bowl with cooked pasta.

3. Melt butter in pan, stir in pesto, chicken stock, and a splash of heavy cream. Let simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened (a few minutes). Add pasta, chicken (if using), and veggies and toss to coat. If you need more sauce, add some reserved pasta water or cream and continue to toss until sauce completely covers the pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning (lots of cream means you will probably need to add more salt).

Creamy Cheesy Pasta

creamy chicken pasta

I never realized how often I make pasta until I saw the number of pasta recipes in queue for this site. I don’t feel like we eat pasta that much, I don’t even particularly like pasta. It must just be that it’s so easy to just boil some water and throw a sauce together after 8 hours of work, 2 hours of commuting, and an hour of gym time. When all I want to do is just go home and crash, apparently pasta is my go-to dish.

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While I usually will make pasta with a red sauce or just some fresh sauteed veggies, it’s always good to change it up now and then with something new. This particular recipe comes to us from a recent issue of Cooking Light. I used skim milk and added some shredded chicken for extra protein.

Creamy Cheesy Pasta

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·  8 ounces uncooked pasta
·  1 cup milk
·  2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil, divided
·  1/2 tsp salt
·  1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
·  1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
·  1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
·  1/2 C (2 oz) shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
·  1 1/2 Tbsp mascarpone cheese
·  ½ – 1 C cooked, shredded chicken* (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

2. While pasta cooks, whisk together milk, 2 teaspoons basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

3. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add flour to pan, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Add milk mixture; cook for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and add 1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano and mascarpone cheese to milk mixture. Add pasta and chicken to pan and toss with tongs to combine.

5. Sprinkle with remaining 4 teaspoons basil and remaining 1/2 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve

[Adapted from Cooking Light]

Pasta al Pomodoro

pasta pomodoro

I don’t know if anyone subscribes to Bon Appetit, but May’s issue had a KILLER cover picture. It was just a simple pasta pomodoro, but it looked A-MAY-ZING. After wiping the drool from my chin, I decided I had to make it. I really think I’m the only person who loves a simple spaghetti with red sauce… However, since my kitchen was in pieces at that time, I marked the recipe page and went along with my life. A couple of days ago, I was cleaning and was elated to stumble upon that magazine again. Realizing I already had all of the ingredients it called for, I immediately got to work.

The May issue was packed with all kinds of “secrets” to making perfect pasta. Things most people know, like adding salt to your pasta water, reserving some of the pasta’s cooking water for your sauce, and adding cheese to your sauce (not just on top of it). It also had some new tips, like using a skillet instead of a large pan, adding butter when you toss the pasta, and finishing the pasta for the last couple minutes in the sauce, so that it absorbs the flavor of the sauce while it finishes cooking.

 

The recipe isn’t anything mind-blowing, just another simple (but enjoyable) pasta sauce recipe. It actually doesn’t vary a whole lot from my current pasta sauce recipe, but I just couldn’t help myself.

We used bowtie pasta (per BF’s request) instead of spaghetti or bucatini. I also feel bad whenever I eat an entree that is void of protein, so I seared some chicken breasts, chopped them up, and added them to the sauce while it simmered. Topped with freshly-grated parmesan and pecorino, this pasta was easy to make and a delight to eat.

Pasta al Pomodoro – from Bon Appetit

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  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 28 oz. can peeled tomatoes, puréed
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 large fresh basil sprigs
  • 12 oz. pasta
  • 2 Tbsp. cubed unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino (I used both)
  • 1 – 2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded* (optional)
  1. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-low heat. Add minced onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 2-4 minutes. (Make sure it doesn’t burn- burned garlic is bitter!!) Add crushed red pepper flakes and continue to cook another minute.
  2. Increase heat to medium and add puréed tomatoes and season lightly with kosher salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly and the flavors meld, about 20 minutes.** (see tips) Remove pan from heat, stir in basil sprigs, and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, cook your pasta! Bring water to a boil in a 5-qt. pot. Season with salt; add pasta and cook. Remove 2 minutes before tender and drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
  4. Discard basil and heat skillet over high heat. Stir in reserved pasta water to loosen sauce and bring it to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat; add butter and cheese; toss until cheese melts

*Tips

*Purchase canned, whole tomatoes and puree them before adding them to your sauce. You can puree your tomatoes in the food processor, with a food mill, or an immersion blender.

*You can add your chicken at step 2 (while it simmers) or step 3 (when you add the pasta). Adding it earlier will result in it absorbing more of the flavor from the sauce, though.

*While my pasta simmers, I cover it with aluminum foil or parchment with a hole cut out- allowing the sauce to be able to reduce without making a huge tomato-y mess on my stove and counter.

simple red sauce

red sauce main
This isn’t about the meatballs, or the pasta, or the cheese. This, my friends, is about the sauce. You know all those complicated recipes for red sauce that you’ve read over the years? With secret blends of secret spices, with food mills, sugar, someone’s grandmother’s “secret ingredient”? Simmer for 40 hours, stirring constantly, standing on one leg while humming an authentic Italian tune? Smoke and mirrors, my friends, smoke and mirrors. Continue reading

Fresh Orzo Salad

orzo salad arugula 9934

orzo with arugula, cherries, feta, and pine nuts

Side dishes are something I always struggle with. I don’t know why, I just find them unnecessary about 98% of the time. I don’t need rice and beans with my tacos, nor do I need bread with my pasta.  I’m happy to j just eat my entrée and be on my way, maybe a small salad. No real ‘side dish’ necessary.

BF on the other hand, well, he needs his side dishes. “Where’s the side?”, “No salad?” he’ll ask. I usually reply with a sheepish shrug or some half-baked excuse- “Well, since there’s veggies in the taco, and the tortilla is bread…”

One of BF’s favorite sides is pasta salad. Poor guy probably didn’t eat a bite of it the whole first year we were together, not in my presence at least. I was never one for mayo (since then it’s grown on me, which isn’t necessarily a good thing). I tend to like things a bit more on the “fresh” side, as in not cold and drowning in mayo.

So, as is necessary in all relationships, we compromised- I created a fresh, healthy alternative to your typical pasta salad using orzo, and he agreed to eat it and pretend it was pasta salad. On second thought, maybe that wasn’t such a great job of compromising…

grilled red onions & red peppers, feta cheese, basil, and arugula

Tonight’s supporting cast was charred red onions, roasted bell peppers, feta, arugula (because I had some left over), and basil (because I love it so much).

You can use any mix-ins you like, and even serve it warm or cold (usually I chill it, but tonight there was no time). This makes it a great candidate for potlucks and busy weeknight dinners alike. I also make the same dish with israeli couscous, or I’m sure you could sub in any pasta shape you like!

Orzo “Pasta Salad”

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  • Salted boiling water (or chicken stock for extra flavor)
  • ½  package orzo
  • ½ small red onion, sliced
  • 1 – 2 red peppers, sliced
  • Feta cheese to taste (couple tablespoons)
  • Couple tablespoons each arugula & fresh basil, sliced
  • Salt, Pepper, Olive oil

1. Cook & drain orzo according to package directions. Spread out onto a baking sheet covered with foil or plastic wrap; drizzle with oil and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool (if you want to serve it cooled).

2. We cooked our red pepper and onion on the grill, as they were leftover from fajitas the other night. You could use the pre-roasted ones that come in the jar, saute fresh peppers on the stove, or use raw (if that’s what you’re into).

3. Toss orzo with chopped veggies, herbs, and cheese; mix and put into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed or serve immediately.

The great thing about using orzo is that it’s neutral in flavor, so you can make combos to suit your taste.

Veggies (sliced):

  • Green onions
  • White onions
  • Red onion
  • Shallots (milder than red onions)
  • Cherry tomatoes, sliced or quartered
  • Red peppers –from a jar, sautéed, grilled, or fresh

*If adding raw onion, I recommend soaking them in cool water for several minutes to take the edge off

Leafies (arugula, basil, cilantro, parsley)

Cheese (feta, parmesan, pecorino)

Dried fruit, chopped (cherries, cranberries, apricots)

Toasted nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios)

*Try adding a tsp or two of any acid to brighten the dish – lemon juice, lime juice, or a vinegar (red wine, balsamic, rice wine, or sherry vinegars- depending on what your mix-ins are)